Ice machinery.



ICE MAQHIN'ERY. APPLICTON FILED DEC. 17| 19H]z Pa'nted Apr. 25, 1916.

settling 'Reservoir TFA d ,Brine l Normung l i tanks online q v of HENRY n.' .'EOW'LLALL,r or CINCINNATI, OHIO;

ICE MACHINERY.

Specifictionof Letters Patent.

To aZZKwLom it may' concern.' v 4 Be it known that l', HENRY D: loWnALn, a citizen oftheUnited States, reslding at C1117 cinnati,-in th'ecounty-of Hamilton and State:

o f'Ohio, have invented rcertainfnew and-use'- ful Improvements' in .Ice `lVIachinery, of` which the following-isa spec'iiication. 'f

` y invention relates toimprovements- 1n f iCema'chmery.

O ne of itsobjectsis to provide 'an -Im` provedl cooling` tank and icemold 'system and construction. l j .l Another object is. to provide means to circulate A`Vfresh Water te and from the ice, moldsduring the freezing operation.

"1 Another object is to provide in connection vvith a'system for circulating fresh Water through the molds during the freezing op eration, means; to remove-fromthe circulating Water the impurities concentrated there,-y in lby the freezing operation. Another -object is to prpvi'de Improved means to insure during th'e`r freezing operation a circulation of fresh Water through the respective molds.y Other ,ob'jects are 'to 'provide ain improved coolingtank and icemold constructiointo provide for draining 4impure Water'fromfthe mo1ds, for separate `control of air 'under TpressureA to the respective molds, to protect the fresh water conduits to the mold from freezing,. :and to release the icefrom the ieemold'sand to agitatthe Water in the molds;

t -`fi1r the1 'consists certain details of .-forn'n .combination and-arrangement, all of hich Willbe 'more fully set'forthin .the

description of the accompanying drawings,

"Figure Iis a top `planview of two units. of-my improved' ice producing apparatus, `:withQ/the: insulation omitted.' Fig. 2 `is a ylvertical :section through one of the cooling Fig..ll, illustratingthe insulation andthe formation of' ice in ,one of the molds. Fig.' Bis y`a plan View of the cooling. tank b ttom plate. Figjl is a per# -spective viewji lustrating a `modification.of the cooling. tank bottom. Figs 5 1s a perf spective viewl of n the coupling member byv which the fresh Waiter conduits aref connected to the ice molds. f Inthe accompanying drawings represent- Patented Apr. 25, 1916. planeacin-meu member-17,1910. seriainofsszme. I

ing the preferred embodimentof 'my inVen-. i

tion, represents a series of cooling tanks 1n Which brine or other adapted to be -contained beneath each ice mold, and the lower edges of the side plates b of the moldsare attached to the tank bottom by angle Vplates a, and the bottoms b of the molds are lattached to the side Walls b above the angle plates a', thus providing a cham"- ber or recess Q2 beneath each mold opening downwardly. vThe bottom ofthe tank rests by piers'ol, thus providing an open space beneath, the tanks and ready access to the bottom of the 'tankand molds. Spaces E are. provided vbetween the respective molds,

and the molds and inner Walls ofthe tank,

'and thecooling medium is preferably sup-V A cooling medium-.is and preferably cir culated to freeze Ice inthe `ice molds.y s vB represent the ice molds, one or more'of s'perforated at a to pro- 'Y l upon T-bars'D vvhich in turn are supported Y plied tothe respective tanks by means o`f trunk conduits main conduit G-fby Whichitiisreturned t0 a brinecooler and thence backv to the .tanks by F and branch conduits' f controlled by valves f. The cooling .medium` lfills and circulates through the spaces Eend leaves the' respective` tanks conduits g controlled by valves g-, and al.'

through .branch v 'i conduit F. The .lower `vpprtionv of the spaces E are illedto' about' the level of the bottom of the molds with a plastic insulating mate- -rial e such as pitch crasphal't preferably'im troduce'd .in a -semi-iuid state, whicheffectu'a'l'ly seals all joints at the bottomofthe tanks and molds and'also prevents the cools v :ing medium chilling p the sidewalls of the recesses b2,

port the* mold 1 lids 7L vk.alici/e: the c .molds which might result lin freezing f Y the fresh water in the pipes entering said re- 95 Y The 'outside walls of the cooling tanks are preferably protected by insulating material 72,.

The bottom of each ice mold is perforated at the center and has attached thereto a coupling member I to which is attached a -trolled by a valve J and the respective fresh Water exit conduits to a main or trunk conduit K controlled by a valvefK, which trunk conduits are connected to opposite ends or portions of a settling reservoir L which as illustrated is proi'ided with a series. of baille plates Z and valve controlled drain pipes Z and serve to separate from the freshwater any solid matter or sediment concentated therein by the freezingr opera' tion iii the ice molds, which sedlment 1s drawn olf from time to time through the pipes Z. Overflow pipes l lead from the reservoirs L, and a slight overflow is preferably maintained during the freezing operation, which serves to maintain a uniform level in the ice molds, and to separate any impurities having a tendency to float on the surface of the reservoirs L. y

' The trunk ronduit K isprovided with a branch pipe .7a controlled by a valve a, which when valves J K are closed serves to drain the fresh water from the ice molds, and is adapted to be used to drain impure lor sediment charged water from the molds, particularly during the latter stages of the freezing operation, when the unfrozen core 'is of small diameter, to enable the impure sediment charged water to `loe replaced with fresh clean water, or even if desired with distilled water to finally freeze into and close up the core. Drain cocks J2 serve to drain the water from the conduits 'i when valve J is closed. i

M represents a fresh water supply or storage reservoir, in which islocated a coil of pipe m connected at Aopposite ends to valve controlled brine pipes m` m2 through which brine is adapted `to be circulated from either coolingtank by means of a circulating pump m3. Fresh water enters reservoir M through pipe M' and is conducted therefrom to the ice molds through pipes m4 m5. Air is preferably supplied under pressure by pipe N and escapes through orifices in the ends of the tubes n controlled by valves a into the fresh water supply pipes i from whence it rises and escapes at'the surface 'of the water in the ice molds, thereby causing a circulation of water to and from the respective molds, and agitating the water in the molds to detach any solid matter or' gas bubbles from the surface of the ice as it is forming. rlhe current of water through the moldsl serves to conduct away the solid mattei' being rejected and concentrated by the freezing operation. I also preferably provide mechanically operated fresh water circulators K2 which may be used either independently of or in conjunction with the air supply.

In operation cold brine is preferably supplied through pipe f to one or more units or cooling tanks, and after circulating through the tank is conducted away to a brine cooler by pipe y.. The ice molds are filled with fresh or raw water from any source supplying water suitable for drinking purposes, said supply passing through the reservoir M where it is initially cooled and thence to the ice molds, and the valve m regulated to secure a slight overflow at pipe l. Air is admitted through pipes N, n, and regulated at valves a', and the freezing operation commences and proceeds as indicated in the right, hand mold of Fig. 2 until only a small vertical core of fresh waterabovc the pipes i remains unfrozen. hleanwhile a current of fresh water to and from the molds is maintained either by epscape of air from the pipes n, or by the mccbanical circulator l, which removes all solid mattei' from the molds and deposits, the same in the settling reservoir. Should .the water in the molds become charged with sediment, particularly toward the end of the freezing operation, with liability of freezing the sediment into theice, the valves J K are closed and thc impure water from. the molds drained oli', and upon again openingthe. valves J K is replaced with fresh clean water and the freezing operation proceeded with until only a veryvsmall core remains unfrozen, when the ice may be withdrawn, or if desired, the fresh water circulation may be stopped, the water drained from the cores, and the cores again filled either with distilled water or fresh raw water and allowed toY stand until the cores completely solidify, before removing the ice from the molds.

To remove the ice from the molds, the circulation of cold brine is cut olf at valves f y and valves fm, m opened and circulating pump m3 started,4 which causes the body of brine locked between valves f [jl to be circulated' one or more times through the coil m where its temperatln'eis raised and its negative beat transferred. to the fresh water of the reservoir M. `and `said brine upon being returned to the cooling controlled fresh water inlet conduit leading to said mold. a 'alve controlled fresh water exit conduit leading from said mold, means to maintain a circulation of `fresh water through said conduits to and from said ice mold. and means to.withdraw the unfrozen fresh water and concentrated impurities from said mold and to refill the mold with fresh water during the freezing operation'.

10. In an ice machine, a cooling tank in which a cooling medium is to be circulated, an ice mold located 1n said tank, a valve controlled fresh water inlet conduit leading to said mold, a valre controlledfresh water exit conduit leading from said mold, means to maintain a circulation of fresh water through said conduits to `and from said ice mold, and means to withdraw the unfrozen' water and concentrated impurities from said mold and to refill the mold with f1 esh water at intervals during the freezing operation. i i

11. In an ice machine, a cooling tank adapted to contain a cooling medium, an ice mold located in said tank and externally in contact with said cooling medium,` a freshl water conduit communicatmg with the lower `1nold and to supply pure fresh water to` said mold during the freezing operation.

13. An apparatus for making artificial ice. comprising a refrigerating tank having one or more openings in the bottom thereof, one or more containers in said tank having, their bottoms fitted over the openings therein and exposed to the atmosphere therethrough. said containers having extensions exposed laterally to the atmosphere and projecting through said openings, means for circulating a refrigerating liquid through said tank. and means for lintroducing air to said containers through said extensions.

14. An apparatus for making artificialiee comprising a refrigerating tank having one or more openings in thebottom thereof, one` or more containers in said tank having their bottoms fitted over the openings therein and exposed to the atmosphere therethrough, said containers having extensions exposed laterally to the atmosphere and pro jecting through said openings, means for circulating a refrigerating liquid through said tank, and pipes connected with said extensions for suppl ring air and water to said containers.

15. An apparatus for making` artificial ice comprising a refrigerating tank. one or more containers therein having their lower portions exposed to the atmosphere to provide non-freezing zones at the bottoms thereof, means for introducing air to said containers through said non-freezingzones, a 'vater supply pipeconnccted with the non-freezing zones ofsaid containers and with the. source of water supply, and a valve in said pipe for discharging to waste the unfrozen water from said containers after the freezing operation is completed.

16. An apparatus for makng artificial ice "comprising a refrigcrating tank having an opening in the bottom thereof, a container for the water to be frozen said container being adapted to fit over said opening. and having its bottom exposed therethrough to vthe atmosphere, and means for clamping the container down upon the bottom of the `refrige 'ating tank. V

17. An apliaratus for making artificial ice comprising a refrigerating tank having an opening inthe bottoni thereof, a container for the vater to he frozen. `sani container being adapted to fit over said opening, and

having its bottom exposed therethrough to.

Athe atmosphere, means around Vthe bottom of the container for preventing leakage thereunder, and means for clamping the container down upon the hottom` of` the ref frigerating tank 1S. An apparatus for making artificial ice coniprising a refrigerating tank having an opening in the bottomthereof, al container for the 'ater to he frozen fitting over said opening and having its bottom exposed therethrough to the atmosphere. said container havng a marginal fiange at the bot-` tom thereof adapted to extend around said opening,` means around said flange for preventing leakage thereunder, and means for 4 i i clamping the container d'own upon the bottom of the tank.

19. An apparatus for making artificial ice comprising a refrigerating tank having an opening in the bottom thereof. a container for the water to be frozen, said container beingadapted to fit over said opening, and having its the atmosphere, and means for holding the container' firmly upon the bottom of the refrigerating tank.

Q0. An apparatus for making artificial ice comprising a refrigeratin r tank haring an `opening'in the bottom thereof. a` container for the Water to be frozen `said container bottoni exposed therethrough toy being adapted to fit over said opening, and having its bottom expose therethrough to `the atmosphere, means around the bottom of the. container for preventing leakage thereunder, and means 'for holding tainer firmly upon the4 bottom ofthe vrefrigerating tank. l

21. An apparatus for making artificial ice I Comprising a refrigerating tank having an 'opening in the. bottom thereof, a container. 4

for the Water to be frozen, fitting oversaid opening` and having Vits bottom exposed therethrough to the atmospherasaid con- 'he con-v tainer having a marginal Hange atnthe bottom thereof adapted to extend around said opening', means around said` ange fon preventing leakage thereunder, and Ineans for holding the container )firmly upon the bot'- tom' of the tank.- i

In testimony Whereol .I have affixed my 2o L slgnature in .presence of two witnesses. 

